Keeping Up With the Joneses
by Jessica Wolf
Summary: Ginny Weasley has dug up a strange box. The contents prove to be the possessions of a now deceased Muggle. A Muggle which the young witch quickly falls head-over-heels for upon examining the box's contents more closely. But they can never meet. Can they?
1. About Time

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Ron Weasley, Harry Potter, Hermione Granger or the HP world. Or... any of the characters mentioned in this chapter. I won't say their names 'cause that'd give them away. ;)

**Author's Important Note:** I envision this happening some time while the golden trio are at school. I DON'T know when would WORK and am too lazy to figure it out. So sue me. But for the sake of the story working (even if that means making this semi-alternate-universe), I've placed it around their fifth year. It doesn't really matter too much. You can insert this any time that the golden trio had time in between all the crazy things that happened to them. After the third book, of course, because Hermione has to have had experience with time turners. But anyway.... yeah.... Insert this fic where you want in the HP timeline. I have purposefully avoided using professor's names or giving the ages of the characters for this reason. ^^

"_Hermione Granger_." Ron said her name in a sternly shocked tone. "You're always telling _us_ not to talk about using them that way. Why's it all right when _you_ do?"

Hermione tossed her bushy hair out of her face and ignored the red-head, turning to face Harry instead. She cocked one eyebrow as if asking his opinion.

"I don't think it's right." Harry said carefully. "I mean... you've said yourself, so many things could go wrong."

Hermione sighed, sitting back against the stone wall of the nearly-empty hallway. Her two friends sat down beside her.

"I mean, you'd be doing it only for entertainment." Harry tried again. "What if something _did_ go wrong. You'd feel ruddy awful."

"I know, Harry," Hermione said, scowling. "But I just _have_ to know."

"Hermione, time turners aren't supposed to be used to satisfy curiosity." Ron said, for once saying something halfway wise.

"You know we're right." Harry said, smiling and holding out his hand to help her up. "So come on, let's just go to class and forget about it."

But Hermione didn't forget about it. She couldn't forget about _Ginny_. And the way she'd stared at that picture.

She had gone through the pain-staking process of getting _ahold_ of another time turner, she wasn't going to waste all that time by returning it. [Author intrusion: -sniggers- Sorry, couldn't RESIST putting that sentence into pun format. It was just too easy. Kthx, bai.] She'd give it back when she was good and ready. Which might be never. After all, the time turner she'd had before had proved _very_ useful. And she knew how to use it carefully. What was the harm in having one? One never knew when one would need it.

Hermione spent weeks thinking it over. She thought about it so much she'd get headaches from trying to figure out how time and dimensions worked. She finally decided that if she was going to do it, she'd better do it before the school term was over. It wouldn't do to mess up when she was at her muggle home, with no one to help her if she _did_ put a wrinkle in time.

But Hermione knew that Ginny was counting on her. Hermione had told her friend only that she would do some research and try to figure out who the man in the picture was. Where he was from, who his family was and all that rot. She hadn't mentioned any time traveling. No, that would have only worried her.

Hermione stepped into the Gryffindor commonroom and was greeted by Ron.

"Where's Harry?" Hermione asked quietly. "We need to talk. All three of us."

"Why?" Ron followed her up the stairs to the boy's dormitory.

"It's about time." Hermione said impatiently. When the two entered Harry's dormitory, Harry was lying on his bed reading.

"Harry, she's at it again." Ron complained, collapsing next to his friend on the bed.

"Oh, hush up." Hermione sniped. "I'm going to do it, tonight." She added to Harry.

The blackhaired boy sat up, staring at her through his round-rimmed glasses. "Why?"

"You _know_ why, Harry." Hermione said agitatedly, sitting next to him.

"It's not a good reason." Harry insisted.

"Hermione," Ron tried to explain the two boys' position. "if you use that thing... the way you're planning to, you'll be breaking the law."

"I know that." Hermione sighed.

"You're so up on rules, though." Ron said, confused.

"I know that." She said again.

"Hermione," Harry took over. "what's so important about it?"

"Ginny's been telling me about the papers she found with his photograph." Hermione explained reluctantly. "She's been reading them all night."

"How much did she _find_?" Ron asked, surprised. "I thought it was just the picture."

"No."

"Well, what else was there, then?" Harry prodded.

"I was getting to that." Hermione glared. "There were also some Muggle school papers, part of a journal entry, and three more photos, and... just other little things, trinkets and such."

"She only ever showed us the one of that... that bloke." Ron said, sounding offended. "Doesn't she trust us? What's so important about a bunch of old papers anyway?"

Hermione sighed again. "They were in a metal box that she dug up when she was staying with that friend for a week last summer." She explained.

"So why is she so interested in that stuff _now_?" Harry asked. Ron just looked perplexed that his sister hadn't shared this information with him sooner.

"Well, I think she's a little embarrassed." Hermione admitted.

"Of what?" Ron prodded.

"She's a little _too_ interested in these things." Hermione confided. "She... I think she really wishes he were alive now."

"Mightn't he be?" Harry asked.

"No, it's too old." Hermione said dejectedly. "Which is _exactly_ why I need to turn time back. I need to find him. Know what he's really like. At least it's _something_ I can do for Ginny, even if I can't bring her the man himself."

Harry scowled for no apparent reason. "Why did she tell you and not us?"

"Because I'm a girl. I understand girl things." Hermione said simply. But the boys weren't satisfied.

"_What_ girl things? You said it was a _bloke_ what buried the stupid box." Ron questioned.

"Exactly." Hermione said serenely.

"So... what do we know about this bloke?" Ron asked after a few moments silence.

"We're making a _very_ rough guess here, but Ginny and I think the box has been buried for at least thirty years." Hermione began.

Harry let out a low whistle. "That's old." He commented.

Hermione ignored him, taking out a piece of notebook paper from her pocket and running down a list. "In the photographs, he appears to be no older than twenty five or thirty. He had a mother, father and... someone we're not sure _who_ he was..."

"_Everyone_ has a mum and dad." Ron pointed out.

"Not at _that_ age." Hermione shot back. "But that's beside the point."

"What's this other fellow look like?" Harry asked, leaning back against one of the bedposts.

"He looks to have been about fifty at the time. Maybe older."

"What else about them?" Ron shot.

"Well, we don't know his name."

"The old stoop or the bloke what buried the box?" Ron raised an eyebrow.

"The 'bloke' _who_ buried the box. The older gentleman does have a name. He's labeled 'Ox' on the back of the picture."

"_Ox_?" Harry asked, sniggering.

"Yes, Harry, Ox."

"Hairy ox?" Ron snorted.

"You two are impossible." Hermione stood from the bed, smoothed her robes and made as if to leave the dormitory.

"Wait, what else?" Harry asked, beckoning her back.

Hermione turned and reseated herself reluctantly. "The man who buried these things apparently didn't expect anyone else who didn't _know_ him to see the pictures, because he labeled everyone familiarly: Mom and Dad and Ox and Me."

"Mom?" Harry asked, sitting up straighter. "D'you think he's American?"

"Maybe." Hermione shrugged. "But we'll never know unless you two let me find out."

Harry and Ron looked at each other, unsure. "You shouldn't." Harry said, turning back to face their female friend.

"You really shouldn't." Ron agreed.

"But now _I'm_ curious too." Harry sighed, defeated.

"Why does Ginny care so much, anyway?" Ron asked.

"She, unlike two boys I could mention, is interested in history and learning." Hermione said, giving a little sniff.

"All right, Hermione." Harry said after a few seconds of annoyed silence. "What do we care. Just don't get _us_ blamed when you rip a hole in time."

"Yeah, don't get us involved." Ron nodded.

Hermione smiled, just slightly.

As she was closing the door behind her, she heard Harry call after her, "Don't forget to tell us what happens!"

_Why do I suddenly feel like the little red hen?_ She wondered.

**************

_Hey, the author, Jess, here! I hope you liked this first chapter. I apologize if there are any inconsistencies or things that don't make much sense. I am trying._

_If you enjoyed this chapter, or even if you didn't, please __**remember to review!**__ Just, if you critique, be gentle. I don't mind picky people, but don't be _crabby_._

_Merci and Peace out!_


	2. States Geography

Disclaimer: Blah blah blah, you didn't come to read THIS.

AN: None, really. 'Cept this one's really… short and really just a bridge to the next chappie. :P

Hermione took a deep breath and fingered the time turner, still not sure what she was doing was worth the risk involved.

Besides, if she did get all this information and he turned out to be a really nice guy, wouldn't that just make Ginny _more wistful?_

_She shook her head and began the magical device spinning, slowly. As she watched the trees move back and forth in the previous day's winds, and the clouds rush by overhead, she felt her eyes stinging. People walked by her hiding place, behind a dumpster in an alley in London. Sparrows and seagulls flew by and as she gave the turner a nudge to move faster she smiled a little, watching the parade of cars appear and vanish in the blink of an eye._

_There was snow on the sidewalk in front of her, then it was gone, then there again, and gone once more. Over and over the seasons changed as she gave the turner yet another quick spin, to make it go even faster. She did, after all have decades to cycle through._

_Finally, she stopped, to get her bearings. "Where am I?" she murmured, looking about herself._

_The buildings she was hiding beside had changed slightly in appearance. Some of the graffiti had disappeared and the walls appeared newer._

_Hermione stepped from the alleyway and glanced around. Then she decided to enter the coffee shop she was standing beside. Inside, there was an elderly man sitting at a table, newspaper in hand._

"_Excuse me, sir," Hermione said tentatively. The man looked up. "Might I look at your paper for a moment?"_

_He handed it to her grudgingly._

_Hermione looked at the date, raised and eyebrow and handed the newspaper back. 1962. "Thanks awfully."_

_She ran back outside and began the time turner rotating again, more slowly this time, keeping track as the seasons past._

"_There." She stopped it when she was fairly certain she had landed in 1960 even. "Good a place as any to start." She decided._

_It was about three in the afternoon and people were walking to and from work everywhere she looked. She stopped a woman walking by._

"_Hey, um, have you seen this man?" Hermione pointed to the young man in the photograph Ginny had found._

"_Never seen 'im in my life." She said, sounding annoyed._

"_Thanks then." Hermione sighed, sitting down on the coffee shop's step._

_She spent the rest of the day in a similar fashion, asking everyone who passed by if they had seen this man before._

_Finally, one younger fellow gave her a more promising answer._

"_No," he said, his accent betraying that he was Irish. "but I've met this one." he pointed to the man Hermione supposed to be Ginny's interest's father. "That's good old Indy."_

"_Indy?"_

"_Yeah, Indiana Jones, that's 'im." the man nodded matter-of-factly. "Great man, professor at Marshall, I believe."_

"_Marshall. Good. Where's that?" Hermione interrogated hopefully._

"_O'er in the States, I believe." The man shrugged. "He must be close to retiring now."_

"_Great, thanks so much. Any idea where in America?" Hermione busily began logging this new information away._

"_Oh, I dunno. Somewhere near Vermont, maybe. No, it was. . .Maryland. No. . ."_

_Hermione sighed inwardly but waited. It was frustrating how few Europeans knew their USA geography. She had to include herself in this category, but her love of reading did make her more familiar with the States than many._

"_Connecticut. That was the one, for sure."_

"_Thank you so much, sir." Hermione started to pull a sickle from her pocket, then paused, realizing she couldn't give the muggle wizard money._

"'_Ere, then. If you go to see 'im, tell 'im I say 'ello. Tell 'im Josef O'Malley says 'ello."_

"_Right, I will." Hermione nodded. "Least I can do." She smiled and hurried away. "Close to retirement." She murmured, ducking into another alley. "Maybe I should back it up a bit more. . .wait until I get there, though, I suppose."_

_She retrieved her broom from the dumpster and mounted. She hated flying, but if it was necessary, so be it._

"_I'm going to fly across the Atlantic ocean."_


End file.
